This year marks the 11th anniversary of the Catechesis of the
Good Shepherd in Australia. As well as in Brisbane, there are now
several centres being established in Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra,
Perth, Tasmania, and in regional centres throughout Queensland.

The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd began when the late Maria
Montessori, in response to the call of Pius X in 1909 for the
education of the faithful to enable them to participate more fully
in the liturgy, sought to find a way to make the liturgy accessible
to children so that they might 'be admitted to the most intimate
and sublime act of religious life - communion with Christ' (The
Child in the Church, M. Montessori, ed. E.M. Standing).

A child's soul

Maria Montessori's vision drew others to it. Fr Casulleras, a
Vincentian from Guatemala, Fr Calsascar, the chaplain to the
Children's House in Barcelona, the Sisters of Charity of St Vincent
de Paul working in the orphanages in the Balearic Islands, the
Abbot of the Benedictine Sanctuary of Our Lady of Montserrat and a
colleague of Montessori, Anna Maccheroni, submitted proposals to a
Liturgical Congress held in the Basilica of Montserrat.

In 1915 the Montessori Children's House was opened in Barcelona.
Dr Montessori wrote at the time of how the Montessori Method was
now furnished with a long sought opportunity of penetrating deeper
into the life of the child's soul and of thus fulfilling its true
educational mission.

Its application had until this time been mainly in areas of
general education. Eventually, however, due to the war and other
factors, this work was discontinued in Barcelona, though some of
the ideas were taken up and used in England.

In 1954 in Rome it was taken up again, quite unexpectedly, by an
academic, a scholar of Hebrew and Scripture, Dr Sofia Cavalletti,
who was also a member of the Vatican Commission for
Jewish/Christian relations. She says now 'we began without knowing
we had begun.'

Unfamiliar with working with children, Dr Cavalletti agreed to
work with a seven-year-old to help him prepare for First Communion.
A number of other children joined them and after a few weeks a
friend introduced Dr Cavalletti to a Montessori educator, Professor
Gianna Gobbi. Together these two women began to make materials to
put before the children.

Going back to the heart of Christian doctrine, they presented
themes essential to the Catholic faith: the simplest and richest
moments in Scripture, liturgical celebration and the sacraments.
Over a twenty-year period, through their observation, the responses
of the children helped them to discover those themes which most fed
the religious needs of particular age groups. Thus what has come to
be known as the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd came into
being.

What began in a hidden way, just a short walk from the Vatican,
spreading first of all to the United States and Canada, then to
Mexico, Colombia, and Argentina, was by 1990 also in Chad, Germany,
and Austria. It first came to Australia in 1995 and is now in
Ireland, Jamaica, Uganda, Japan, South Africa, New Zealand and
Singapore as well.

This work of making a way for our youngest children to discover
for themselves their special relationship to God, through the
primary image of Jesus the Good Shepherd, takes place in a
specially prepared environment known as an atrium. The name was
given by Montessori herself, in recalling that space in the Roman
basilicas where the catechumens were prepared for full life in the
Church. It can best be described as a place which stands between
the home, the school and the church, a place in which 'all is a
passage to prayer, or prayer itself .'

The perfect time to commence in this Catechesis of the Good
Shepherd is at the age of three, when the child's capacity for
wonder and for 'falling in love' with God are at an optimum. It is
such a delight to see these little ones, faces shining, rapt in a
work of their choice, that ushers them into the presence of God and
to witness if ever so briefly that encounter when the mystery of
God and the mystery of the child come together.

Atrium

In the atrium are to be found small tables and chairs, rugs and
stools, and shelving at the children's height, containing many
simple yet beautifully made models and materials which offer an
invitation to discover.

Some materials enable children to engage in the practical
activities of daily life, which will build their sense of personal
dignity and prepare them for success in future activities. Some
introduce the person of Jesus and the stories he told. Others
introduce children to elements of the liturgy and the celebrations
of the liturgical cycle.

If one should visit an atrium while the children are present,
one might see individual children at work by themselves, meditating
with the use of a set of materials on some aspect of the
Scriptures, perhaps something from the life of Jesus such as a Land
of Israel relief map, the infancy narratives, the parables, or the
Last Supper. While some may be looking at a book, dusting a shelf,
polishing a wooden item, or watering the plants in the surrounds,
others may be engaging in a liturgical activity such as setting up
the model altar, laying out the liturgical colours, meditating on a
moment/ gesture from the Mass or working with the vestments.

Art expression is also encouraged. At some time while the
children are there, the catechist will gather a small group and
introduce them to a new set of materials with accompanying points
for meditation. Thus week by week, the repertoire of available
materials and meditations continues to grow. Before the children
leave the session, the whole group will gather for communal
prayer.

In order to prepare to work in an atrium, catechists attend a
comprehensive training course for each of three levels, Level 1 for
children aged 3-6, Level 2 for children aged 6-9, and Level 3 for
children aged 9- 12.

One special feature of this catechesis is the way it draws in
parents and family members, often at first to help in some way, but
later to discover for themselves what it is that draws and feeds
the spirit of the child in such a unique way. An oft heard request
is 'when can we have this too!'

Where interest is shown in establishing an atrium, a 'Seed-
Planting' evening/weekend can be arranged whereby catechists who
are recognised trainers will outline the basics of how to begin and
lay the groundwork for a future local training course.

We continue to see some good fruits from this work. At present,
children who have come through the atrium from the age of three,
and have graduated, continue to attend Mass with their families and
participate in parish life and activities. Some parents of the
children participating in the Sacramental Program have joined the
RCIA program to become Catholics.

The work of the catechesis has at times been used as part of the
RCIA program in the parish of Corinda/Graceville in Brisbane. There
have been parents who have come back to their faith and are
attending Mass regularly because of what their three-year-old child
shares of his/ her experience in the atrium.